Ways to level soil for new lawn?

Naf

I'm in the process of killing off all the old rubbish grass on my lawns (with Glyphosate) to start over and seed from scratch. I also have some sharp sand left over from the patio I just laid, which I plan to dig through to improve the drainage (hopefully); plus the earth I dug out for the patio (or some of it) will be going to raise the level a little.
The current lawn is very lumpy & bumpy, and that's something I really want to fix before I reseed. I don't really care if I get it level to a spirit level, I just want it to be smooth and to stay that way.
I just really don't know how to go about getting it right - especially when it comes to compacting it down again.
Any advice greatly appreciated.

wallbash

I had pet rabbits for a number of years, so 'lawn' was ruined.

Then grass was killed , raked to remove dead thatch , rotavated twice,
Raked , left to settle , raked again , then back of rake to smooth off.
Long straight piece of wood dragged gently over earth to expose dips ( hills) , then turfed.

especially when it comes to compacting it down again.

You spend hours to aerate your soil , then you want to compact??
Out of date , years ago they suggested rollers , not now.

Naf

wallbash wrote: »

I had pet rabbits for a number of years, so 'lawn' was ruined.

Then grass was killed , raked to remove dead thatch , rotavated twice,
Raked , left to settle , raked again , then back of rake to smooth off.
Long straight piece of wood dragged gently over earth to expose dips ( hills) , then turfed.



You spend hours to aerate your soil , then you want to compact??
Out of date , years ago they suggested rollers , not now.

So I just seed right onto the raked earth? It's going to get compacted when we use it though; and that's going to make lumps & bumps again, isn't it?

wallbash

Depends on how impatient you are . Its getting late in the year to reseed , much better a few weeks ago . If you can't wait to let ground resettle , you could walk up and down the area and shuffle ( sorry cant explain better ) This would compact the very top of the earth , my comment on compaction was the use of a heavy roller .

Shimmyhill

Dragging a long ladder is a easy way to get it nice and level esp if you can build a wooden 'guide rail' on either side.

Leif

From what I have read you need a lot of sharp sand to be of use e.g. a 1" layer.

wallbash wrote: »

Depends on how impatient you are . Its getting late in the year to reseed , much better a few weeks ago .

Nonsense. Early autumn is reckoned to be the best time of year to reseed a lawn. If you sow now, the ground may be too dry over the summer.

wallbash wrote: »

If you can't wait to let ground resettle , you could walk up and down the area and shuffle ( sorry cant explain better ) This would compact the very top of the earth , my comment on compaction was the use of a heavy roller .

I think that is what the OP meant i.e. walk over the lawn to compact it down,

Leif

Oh, and the books recommend compacting down by walking over it, while putting your weight on your heels. As you say, if you don't compact it, it will end up uneven with time.

Naf

I have quite a few bags of sand left. Drainage in the front isn't so bad, so I'll be leaving the majority for the back.
I don't know if its something I'm doing wrong, but when I walk over the soil to compact it, I end up with lumpy bits anyway.

wallbash

Nonsense. Early autumn is reckoned to be the best time of year to reseed a lawn. If you sow now, the ground may be too dry over the summer.

OP wants a lawn NOW . not wait until Autumn , ( spring sowing is the second best)so your word 'nonsense ' is just that!

Dragging a ladder across seems a very good idea.

1 inch of sand ........ sounds like trying to grow grass on a beach.

Naf

Yeah, I don't have a ladder but I do have a 2m length of 2x4, and that sounds like a good idea for getting the loose earth straight.
I do have a 2.4m plank of 18mm plywood (about 40cm wide); would laying that down, then stomping along it work?

Leif

wallbash wrote: »

OP wants a lawn NOW . not wait until Autumn , ( spring sowing is the second best)so your word 'nonsense ' is just that!

Dragging a ladder across seems a very good idea.

1 inch of sand ........ sounds like trying to grow grass on a beach.

You said "Its getting late in the year to reseed ," and that is incorrect. For example, according to Geoffrey Hamilton: "Grass seed should be sown in early spring or early autumn, when some wet weather can be expected". Seed can be sown in late autumn, in Southern England anyway, but it is not ideal.

They could sow now, rather than later in the year, but they might have to regularly water the lawn during warm dry spells. If they prepare the soil now, they can wait and let weed seeds germinate and zap them, before seeding with grass.

It is generally recommended that you rotavate down to 5-6" and add 1" sand if the soil needs it i.e. it is heavy. I have 3 tonnes of sharp sand arriving later today for my lawn, one of two deliveries. A small amount of sharp sand won't do much, as it is swamped by clay. Obviously you dig the sand in, not leave it on the surface.